According to the World Health Organisation, Thailand has the highest suicide rate in Southeast Asia, with a reported suicide attempt every 10 minutes. One reason is the lack of easy access to help for the mentally ill - in a land where severe depression afflicts over 1 million. In the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, suicide rates in Thailand spiked by 22%, fueled by financial woes. The country's two main suicide prevention helplines, run by the Samaritans of Thailand and Department of Mental Health, saw a 70% increase in the number of calls. Long waiting times for a response resulted in a caller dropoff rate of 40% to 45%. In spiritual Thailand, awareness of the science of mental health is low, as is the number of mental healthcare professsionals. To raise awareness among younger Thais, hip hop artistes AUTTA, BLACKSHEEP, MILLI from music label YUPP wrote the song ‘Nai Lao’ (https://youtu.be/YIgvov0RfK8), which encourages youths to talk about mental health. 3 in 5 Thais aged 15-29 suffer from mental disorders. The Thai government has also launched Hope Task Force, which uses platforms like Facebook, TikTok and Line to engage with people in need. ALSO WATCH: After A Son’s Suicide https://youtu.be/AbR3fpaMYfk Can Technology Save Our Children From Self-Harm? https://youtu.be/pruQFhE4n_g Saving Hong Kong's Suicidal And Depressed Students https://youtu.be/nYNG75nLGnw For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER! https://cna.asia/insideryoutubesub Follow CNA INSIDER on: Instagram: https://ift.tt/2C3sZiR Facebook: https://ift.tt/2PPEuNA Website: https://cna.asia/cnainsider
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